I have been to nearly every Sydney Road Street Party for the past 6-7 years... and have watched it grow *and, every year, take up more and more blocks from Victoria Rd towards Brunswick St*. I thought last year was packed, but boy was today huge or what!! I remember playing in my band there quite a few years ago, and being one of the only forms of live entertainment among a shitload of vendors and stall selling corn on the cob... now we have dozens of bands, dance groups, street performers, heaps of different cuisines on offer from a multitude of countries - and yes, still the corn on the cob...

The best thing about the place *confirmed to me by both a good friend who had a clothes stall going there today, and my partners mum who works in a pharmacy in the vicinity* is that, just like all markets and street festivals, the crowd comes to you - you don't need to find ways to look for customers to come to you, they are already there - in their thousands... oh, and you always seem to get your fair share of freaks around the place - the only difference I noticed this year is that the same freaks were actually handing out leaflets for juice bars, tattoo parlours and shit like that...

Good to see a couple of Carlton jumpers walking around, would have at least spied half a dozen - and compared to no other opposition jumpers this is pretty good... it has to be said, this is Carlton territory. I've spent most of my life in Brunswick and - for the most part - if you are born here you either follow Carlton or don't follow football at all...

A few drop punts away from MC Hammer Park - and a few years back a good area to find a place to sink a few pots after a Carlton win - I struggle to think as to why the club didn't set up a stall there... selling memberships, having players around to chat to new or current supporters, selling merchandise perhaps, photos, Captain Carlton dancing to "Pump Up The Jam" - damn I don't know... this was all going through my head while I was walking around - being proactive in the community is something we need to do if the team is serious about returning to it's rightful place as one of the powerhouse clubs in the competition.

Hell, I would have even shouted the folks at the stand a few corn on the cobs!

SparkyBlue out.

Spot on Sparky ... the club needs to really get out there to the community, especially one that is right next door. When Hawthorn had their big membership campaign around 6-7 years ago and got to 35,000 members they set up stalls anywhere and everywhere. A bloke I used to work with was part of their membership team ... they would go to school fetes, street festivals etc ... basically anywhere there was a crowd.

I am sure with our business connections we could get a mini bus sponsored and use it to conduct mobile promotions at events.

_________________
"can't kick ... don't pick"

Nice thinking fellas... Stick it in the ideas bank. The club would be more than happy to field any suggestions.

(the ideas bank is the "from little acorns" thread)

_________________
"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter" - Winston Churchill.

That's it! You have so many crowd-prone areas and events around Carlton - the club should be as opportunistic as possible in these areas... Plenty of secondary schools to send players and provide incentives to come to matches *heck, I remember Campo and Lappin visiting my high school in Brunswick when I was in Year 12* - then there is Lygon St and so on...

A bus is a teriffic idea - heck I'm sure you'd get plenty of volunteers that would be happy to run the booths *particularly if they spend the day getting memberships and hanging around with the players!*

yep i still remember how blue brunswick was in 95' and 99' grand final weeks

i live just over Moreland Rd, Sparky

pretty close ha?

Did they reaaly hit 35k members? I doubt it. Even if they got near they have not sustained it and there are only some many pets you can sign up!!